Acting Chief of Police Tabor to Remain Acting Chief of Police

01/13/2009

Until Further Notice

Mayor Lioneld Jordan has decided, and Acting Chief of Police Greg Tabor has agreed, that Chief Tabor will remain Acting Chief of Police for the City of Fayetteville until further notice.

Chief Tabor had voluntarily stepped down from his Police Chief position into a Deputy Police Chief position on December 31, 2008, which was the last day of former Mayor Coody's term of office. He resigned per a contract entered into between Mayor Coody and Chief Tabor when Tabor took office. The contract permitted Chief Tabor to voluntarily resign his Chief of Police position and return to his former position as Deputy Chief of Police as long as he did so during Mayor Coody's term as Mayor.

The purpose of the original contract was to protect Chief Tabor's full vestment in the Police retirement plan (called "LOPFI"), which does not fully vest for Chief Tabor until he has served 28 years in the city Police force. Chief Tabor has presently served approximately 25 years with the City. All City employees are employees at will and may be terminated at any time as amatter of Arkansas law; however, most uniformed Police and Fire employees have statutory rights to the Civil Service Commission if they are terminated. Chiefs of Police or Fire Departments do not have such appeal rights and are therefore have no recourse if they are terminated.

Since resigning to the Deputy Chief position, Chief Tabor has been serving as Acting . Chief of Police. Mayor Jordan states that Chief Tabor has done an excellent job for Fayetteville as Chief of Police. Jordan states that if Chief Tabor continues serving in the capacity as Acting Chief of Police until his Police retirement fully vests, the City will save over $100,000 annually (the cost of paying a Police Chief salary for a new employee) and Tabor will have the Civil Service protection afforded him by the prior contract with Mayor Coody. The Mayor indicated that this seems to be the most practical solution to the contract situation he was presented with upon entering office. Once Tabor's retirement has fully vested, it is anticipated that the matter will be revisited.